On the 1st of March 2021, when Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala emerged as the seventh Director-General of the World Trade Organization, it seemed a shocker to many. As a woman of color, becoming the Director-general of such an organization seemed an anomaly to most people worldwide. It seemed strange because it seemed to them that as if it were not enough that Ngozi was African, she was a woman. She was the first African and first woman in the world ever to occupy the position. Due to racial and gender biases, this was not meant to be.Â
However, because she was qualified for the position, she got it despite all the racial and gender-based biases. Her negotiating skills have been unmatched in the economic world, making her a great asset. Many world-class organizations she has worked with agree that her influence has fostered many beneficial agreements; other than that, she has proven trustworthy. Unlike many government officials, she has never been convicted of fraud or other monetary crimes.
Before her first tenure as finance minister in her homeland, Nigeria, the country was deep in bad debt. The nation owed the Paris Club an outrageous amount of $30 billion. It was agreed that yearly, they would pay back $2 billion in services, but due to some financial constraints, they could only pay back $1 billion. No small thanks to Ngozi on the team, the Paris club reduced this debt by 60% and granted them $18 billion off the tab. This singular act drastically reduced the country’s external debt from $35.94 billion to $20.48 billion.
At the expense of her life, she brought to light 3.6 billion Naira ghost workers and the oil subsidy scam, and this was a huge relief to the country’s struggling economy at the time.
In a world where less than 3 percent of leaders are women, in which this percentage stretches thinner when these women are women of color, women in political positions is a welcome development. Only 1% of women in Africa make it to head of state. Less than 30% even contest for political positions.
The only thing that can solve the gender gap in world politics is action. Neither all the time in the world nor all the social media banter and fights would balance the gender gap. But a truckload of action.
Women should go out to contest for political positions, getting the correct amount of education and certifications.
If we all resign to writing bants on Twitter and other social media platforms about how unfavorable the system is, it will never get better. Doing the right things and taking proper steps would do us all a world of good. Although sexism is a real thing, we could work hard and get to the point where our impact and voices cannot simply be ignored.
The journey to making a mark in international relations and politics would only begin when we start with our African countries. This energy would also encourage more women to engage in politics at their local levels, such as offices and universities, among others—the power of morales.
